The Dutch architecture firm Mecanoo[1] just broke ground on an enormous new cultural center in Shenzhen[2]. The 23.5-acre project comprises a large public art gallery, a science museum, a youth center, and a book mall. Located in Shenzhen's Longgang District, the development will serve as a landmark destination and urban connector between the city's commercial zones and adjacent Longcheng Park.

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Winner of a design competition, the Shenzhen cultural center[5] consists of four top-heavy volumes each clad in a reflective, red-tinted facade. A series of sheltered public spaces, which were created from the voids between the contiguous buildings, create wide pedestrian corridors that link Longgang District’s urban core to the green spaces in Longcheng Park. The open interstitial spaces will connect with the new 9-acre Longcheng Plaza.

The open squares and public spaces surrounding the center also present the opportunity to bring indoor programming outdoors, thus strengthening the bond with the public and creating an image of openness. Slated for completion in 2017, the new museum[7] complex will unify the Longgang District’s urban fabric and stimulate the growth of a vibrant downtown.